A new study by Keck Medicine of USC reveals that heavy drinkers with diabetes, high blood pressure or a high waist circumference are significantly more likely to develop advanced liver disease.
A new study provides crucial insights into why some heavy drinkers develop advanced liver disease while others do not. According to research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology by Keck Medicine of USC, three common health conditions -- diabetes, high blood pressure and high waist circumference -- significantly increase the likelihood of liver disease among heavy drinkers.
"The results identify a very high-risk segment of the population prone to liver disease and suggest that preexisting health issues may have a large impact on how alcohol affects the liver," principal investigator Brian P. Lee, a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist at Keck Medicine, said in a news release.
Heavy drinking, characterized as 1.5 drinks a day for women and two drinks a day for men, combined with at least one of these three health conditions, increases the risk of developing advanced liver disease by up to 2.4 times.
The researchers pulled data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, encompassing over 40,000 participants, to identify these risky intersections.
The health conditions in question -- diabetes, high blood pressure and high waist circumference (35 inches for women and 40 inches for men) -- belong to a set of cardiometabolic risk factors that also heighten the risk of heart attack and stroke.
These risk factors are increasingly common in the United States, affecting more than one-third of the population, with prevalence growing most rapidly among those under 35.
Alcohol contributes to the buildup of fat in the liver, a condition that has been exacerbated by increased drinking since the COVID-19 pandemic. This buildup can lead to significant scarring, or fibrosis, of the liver, culminating in advanced liver disease.
"We know that alcohol is toxic to the liver and all heavy drinkers are at risk for advanced liver disease," Lee added, noting that it's not just those with specific health conditions who should be cautious.
However, the study pinpoints certain groups who need to be especially vigilant.
While the study did not delve into the mechanisms behind why these three cardiometabolic risk factors pose a greater threat, Lee postulates that they might share pathways that exacerbate fat accumulation in the liver.
When combined with the fat deposits from excessive alcohol consumption, this can cause significant damage.
There is a need for "more personalized health screenings and interventions for those who drink and have cardiometabolic risk factors so that liver damage can be caught early and treated," Lee added, hoping the study's findings will lead to better-informed decisions about alcohol consumption based on individual health profiles.
This research opens avenues for personalized health strategies and preventive measures, paving the way for those at higher risk to receive more specialized care and potentially mitigating one of the direst consequences of chronic alcohol consumption.